Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, at Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Duck Hill for Mrs. Olivia Moore Townsend, 96, of Winona, who died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 16, surrounded by her family. Family hour will begin at 10 a.m.
Mrs. Townsend was born in Gregg County, Texas, on April 5, 1926. The oldest of three girls, Mrs. Townsend’s interests centered around 4H Club and church activities such as Sunday school, Baptist Training Unit (BTU) and the choir.
In 1944, Mrs. Townsend graduated salutatorian from Shiloh High School in Gregg County and moved to Pontiac, Mich., to find work. While there, she met her future husband, Dewey Townsend. They married in 1947, and moved to his childhood home in Montgomery County where he had a position as a vocational agriculture instructor in the local school system. In 1948, Mrs. Townsend decided to continue her education by attending Tougaloo College. Despite having to take a break due to health problems, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 1953. She went on to earn her master’s degree from Mississippi State University in 1978.
Mrs. Townsend believed in family, education and community involvement. She taught elementary school for 33 years in Montgomery County and Winona Separate School districts in Mississippi. Upon retiring from education, Mrs. Townsend and her husband spent their time engaged in civic and church activities, and visiting their children and grandchildren. Mrs. Townsend was a member of Montgomery County Retired Teacher Association, NEA, the MEA, Montgomery County Forestry Association, Zion District Baptist Association, Tyler Holmes Hospital Ladies Auxiliary, the Tougaloo Alumni Association, the Tom Dulin Foundation as well as a member of Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and served on the Ladies Missionary Committee. She was a recipient of several lifetime membership awards including Tougaloo’s recognition of the Golden Class of 1953 and the George Harris Lifetime Award. Not only did Mrs. Townsend raise a family, work a full-time job, continue to expand her education and actively participate in civic and church activities, but she also found time to love needlework, quilting, baking and gardening.
Mrs. Townsend leaves to celebrate her life, her sons, Arnold (Carol) Townsend of Fulshear, Texas, and Stanley (Beverly) Townsend of Winona; her daughters, Barbara (Charles) Bibbs of Aurora, Ill., and Gayle (Edward) Boclair of Chicago, Ill.; her grandchildren, Claire Townsend of Galveston, Texas, Keith Townsend of San Antonio, Texas, Bradley (Angelica) Bibbs of Aurora, Ill., Kayla Bibbs of Seattle, Wash., Nicole Boclair of Los Angeles, Calif., Shelton Boclair of Chicago, Ill., and Stephen Boclair of Chicago, Ill.; three great grandchildren; nieces; nephews and many friends.
Skeeter Robinson Funeral Home in Grenada is in charge of arrangements.
